Possible NBC Series Attempts Choose Your Own Adventure Format

NBC is currently working on a new drama series based on the novel, “Pretty Little Mistakes.” If you’ve read the book then you know that there’s an interesting little twist about the format of the novel that could certainly have an impact on how the series works.

According to HR, “‘Mistakes’ from Universal Media Studios, is based on the novel by Heather McElhatton that lets readers decide which path the female protagonist will take at the end of each chapter. It starts out with a high school graduation, after which the reader makes one of two possible choices -- college or travel -- ultimately leading to 150 possible endings.”

I haven’t read the book but it sounds like a grown-up version of choose-your-own-adventure to me. The Reporter also states that the series, which is being supervised and developed by Friday Night Lights head writer Jason Katims will “reflect the readers’-choice sensibility of the book, but producers are still in the formative stages of working out the logistics.” I’m guessing that means they’re trying to figure out how to produce a scripted drama series where the viewers have a say in certain outcomes.

I don’t think there will be any halfway with this series if it gets off the ground. It’ll either be brilliant or a total disaster. Apparently Fox tried to do a viewers-choice type series back in 2001 but it never got past the pilot phase.